Movie Making Manual/Animation

Animation is the process of creating moving images from a series of still images. In film making, this can be used to create a shot or sequence that cannot be shot on camera.

There are many techniques that can be used, including drawings, photos (pixilation), 3D (model or puppet), and 2D and 3D computer animation.

Animations can be produced on film or as a movie file or still image sequence. Still images - created at high resolution and uncompressed (or with lossless compression) are often preferred as they give flexibility and high image quality. In an NLE (Non Linear Editor) a still image sequence can usually be imported as a group, and edited into the film, with the option of adjusting the individual frames.

In modern film making, 3D computer animation (CGI) is most often used as it can come close to matching the look of the rest of the film, while offering great flexibility.

Animation is by nature a slow and highly skilled process, but the tools are readily available, for example there are low cost or free trial versions of many animation software packages (expect a steep learning curve). --Peter strickland 17:21, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Companies also often offer student discounts on their products along with free software available for non-commercial use.